XTERRA's Fire and Ice: Fire

Crowning the king on Oahu

The conservation-minded family has kept the property in pristine condition, accommodating a thriving blend of lush rainforest and grasslands that has become a sanctuary for rare native plants and migratory birds.

The ranch has been the site of a handful of mountain bike races, an annual high school cross country invitational and filming locations for "Jurassic Park," "Windtalkers," "Fifty First Dates" and the TV series "Lost." Its network of secluded singletrack trails and dirt roads made for a perfect setting for the half marathon championship, even though the course included some brutal climbs, 3,000 feet of elevation gain and slippery mud.

King separated himself from early leader Ben Bruce by surviving the uphills and charging the downhills.

"Running trails is a part of my strength as a runner, and one of the things I have over some other track and road runners because most of them probably don't train on trails as much as I do," King said. "It would be nice to see a lot more elite runners cross over and open their mind a little bit and do some other stuff out of their comfort zone a bit. To me, it's all about racing."

While King's trail running experience served as a huge benefit, several steep downhill sections proved to be quite a challenge for Bruce, who finished second in 1:21:55. He took it out hard in the first two miles, but then spent the rest of the race chasing King. "It was brutal," said the smiling and mud-streaked Bruce, also an Olympic trials steeplechaser. "I was just trying to stay on my feet."

Cynthia Anderson (in photo, above) entered the race with only modest trail running experience under her belt, but that didn't stop her from winning the women's division. The 25-year-old former University of Rhode Island distance runner outdueled Canadian pro triathlete Danelle Kabush, passing her on an uphill section near the halfway mark.

"That was an amazing race," said Anderson, who also earned $2,000 for the win. "I've never done anything like that, but I definitely want to do more of it."